Tubing-tongs.



No. 729,294. 1 PATENTED AY 26', 1903.

W. H. DOWNING." TUBING TONGS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20. 1903.

H0 lkoDBL.

UNITED STATES Patented May 26, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM 1-1. DOWNING, on PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO JOHN w. SOLLEY.

TU'Bl- NG-TONGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,294, dated May 26, 1903.

Application filed February 20, 1908- $erial No. 144,266. (No model.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that LWILLIAM H. DOWNING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Parkersburg, in the county of Wood and State of West Virginia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tubing-Tongs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and'eXact description of the'invention, such as will enable others skilled in IO the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 1

This invention relates to pipe wrenches or tongs, and pertains especially to tubing-tongs having duplicate pivoted jaws.

The object of the invention -is to provide tongs of peculiar construction specially applicable for operating well tubing or casing in coupling and uncoupling the same and to arrangeapair of clamping-jaws in such rela-' tion to each other and to a handle that by the movement of the latter the jaws are given a parallel movement in gripping the casing.

A further object of the invention is to provide tongs of such novel and improved construction and arrangement of parts to afford therein great strength and durability and whereby they may be made to screw and unscrew well-casing sections without removing the tongs therefrom or loosening their grip o thereon.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts and essentially in the peculiar connection between the gripping-jaws 5 and the handle whereby a movement of the handle will impart a double movement to the aws.

In. the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, Figure 1 is an eleva 0 tion, partly broken away, showing the application of the tongs. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the jaws open. Fig. 3 is an edge View. Fig. 4 is a detailelevation of the pivot end of the handle. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross- 5 section of one of the jaws, line 00 m, Fig. 1.

The same numeral references denote the same parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

The hand-lever 1 is provided with circularshaped ears 2, positioned opposite each other and having apertures 3 for the pivot-pins 4,

and the outer edge of'each ear has a stop pin, lug, or projection 5, the function of which will be hereinafter described. The jaws 6 have slotted ends 7, provided with pinholes for the pivot-pins 4, and in which slots the handle-ears work. The pivot-pins 4 are positioned at such relative position to each other as to permit a clearance or space between the jaws when the latter are parallel or in their nearest position to each other, and such position of the pivots vpermit a slight but yet sufficient lengthwise parallel movement of the jawsto efiect a grip or bite of the dies 8 on the casing or tubing 9 by a very slight movementof the handle. The jaws are cored,

grooved, or hollowed out at 10 from near the 'pivot ends upon the outer edge to a point whence the arms 11 and 12 project, and the inner edges at the ends of the jaws are parallel. To the arm 11 is pivoted at 13 a pair of links 14, and fulcrumed in the ends of the linksis a cam 15, having a handle 16 and adapted to engage the arms 12 to clamp the jaws upon the tube or casing. The arm 12 is provided with a stop 17 to limit the inward movement of the links.

One function of the stop-pins 5 is to limit the outward swing of the jaws when the tongs are opened, which is accomplished by the edge 18 0f the jaws striking the pins. The other function of the stops is to engage the ed gesl8 of the jaws and work the latter when thehand-lever is operated and to permit the slight parallel movement of the jaws, hereiubefore referred to, before they strike said edges. This movement causes the dies to grasp the tube or casing in advance of any rotary or oscillating movement of the jaws without turning the tube or casing. These stops may be made adjustable by providing the lever-ears with one or more screw-holes 19 and using set-screws, so as to vary the swing of the jawsin opening, as desired, or to vary the movement of the'handle in advance 5 of its turning the jaws.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a tubing-tongs, the hand-lever having xco opposite ears, clamping-jaws pivoted to the ears and working parallel with each other,

arms projecting from the jaws, a stop on the ears to control the movementof the handle and to limit the opening movement of the jaws, the links, and a cam carried by the links and operating on said arms to hold the jaws in clamped position.

2. The combination, with the jaws, and means for clamping the free ends thereof together, of the hand-lever having opposite ears to which the jaws are pivoted so as to permit a parallel movement of the jaws in advance of their rotary movement, and the stops on the edge of the ears to engage the jaws and impart to them the oscillating movement of the hand-lever.

3. In a tubing or well-casing tongs, the combination, with a hand-lever having 0pposite pivot-ears, and a cam-lever, of the WII LIAM H. DOWNING.

Witnesses:

G. W. HATCH, J. W. SOLLEY. 

